Morning Glory: The secret weapon of J.D. Vance

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"He’s kind."

Wait. What? Senator J.D. Vance is "kind?"

That is what my guest—podcaster and one of the most influential Republican women in America, Mary Katharine Ham—told me about Vance Wednesday morning. (Her podcast, co-hosted with Vic Matus, "Getting Hammered" is a joy to listen to.)

I first interviewed Senator Vance in 2016 when his book "Hillbilly Elegy" debuted. It is a fabulous book and still a riveting read. Vance was not then in politics. He was a Yale Law grad making his way in Silicon Valley. The story hit close to the hearts of anyone from the abandoned steel and car towns of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

What Mary Katharine revealed to me is not something a radio host could learn over the score of interviews I conducted with Vance over the years since 2016 or during the debate I moderated with him and five other GOP Senate candidates in 2022. I have never spent time with Vance off a real or virtual stage, so I had no idea what he’s like in non-public settings.

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I asked Mary Katharine to stay an extra segment to explain the "He’s kind" observation. I am a big believer in people from across the political spectrum who act with respect towards everyone regardless of their politics, who display gratitude when no one is looking, who are, indeed, "kind." Cruelty repels me,